Glock 19 questions

So i got my first handgun for christmas. a Gen 3 glock 19! very happy with it but have a few questions as this is my first handgun.

1. my dad and i both got identical guns. both brand new. however whenever i rack my slide back it makes a bit of a squeaking noise and his doesnt. Ive taken it apart and oiled it but no luck so far...am i not oiling the right area or will this go away with use?

So i got my first handgun for christmas. a Gen 3 glock 19! very happy with it but have a few questions as this is my first handgun.

1. my dad and i both got identical guns. both brand new. however whenever i rack my slide back it makes a bit of a squeaking noise and his doesnt. Ive taken it apart and oiled it but no luck so far...am i not oiling the right area or will this go away with use?

4. What ammuntion do you prefer for self defense...pros and cons please.

Thanks in advance guys

Congratulations! G19s are great general-purpose handguns, suitable for most tasks.

As for your questions:

1. Some Glocks squeak when new, some do not. If yours does, it'll go away eventually.

2. No upgrades are really NEEDED, but I prefer night sights (Meprolight first, Trijicon second), so I upgrade my sights fairly soon after purchase. The fiber-optic/light-tube sights look cool, but they are more prone to impact damage (more fragile) than solid sights. They also seem to encourage using the dots to aim in normal lighting conditions, which reduces the practical accuracy of the weapon. I'd recommend using the rear notch and the top of the front and rear sights as your aiming devices unless it is too dark to see the edges of the sights against the target; if so, THEN you can move to using the dots. Normal sight alignment is: top of the front sight even/level with the top of the rear sight; front sight centered in the rear sight notch (equal bar of light on both sides); eye focused on the front sight (let the target blur slightly if you must). Once the sights are aligned, place the top of the front sight wherever you want the bullet to hit on the target (while keeping the front and rear sights aligned). Consistent front/rear alignment is more important than location of the front sight on target. If the sights are aligned properly, but the front sight is slightly off-center on target, you'll still hit the target. If the front and rear sights are mis-aligned, nobody knows exactly where that bullet is going. Concentrate hard on a gentle squeeze (or press) on the trigger, straight to the rear, without moving the weapon or the sights. DON'T squeeze part-way, and then jerk/slap at the end of the squeeze; squeeze smoothly (gentle increase in pressure) all the way through 'til it fires.

3. I've used BladeTech IWB holsters with good results. I haven't tried many other brands (I'm not connected to BladeTech, or any other gun/ammo/accessory company, in any way).

4. There is no "magic bullet". Get whatever major brand factory hollowpoint load you can find locally, or buy in bulk online. You will need to check that your weapon functions properly with your defensive load, and be able to practice with it occasionally. If the load you choose is too expensive or only available in small quantities, you won't shoot enough of it to have confidence in your weapon's reliability/accuracy or your own performance. I've used or tried most of the popular defensive ammo at one time or another, but your skill as a shooter is much more important in defending your life than any particular fancy ammunition. Right now, depending on caliber, my mags are filled with Speer Gold Dots, Winchester Ranger-Ts, or Federal HSTs or Hydra-Shoks.

"Placement is power" -- seen in an article by Stephen A. Camp
(RIP, Mr. Camp; you will be remembered, and missed)

Are you saying you purchase meprolight first and then replace them with Trijicon?
why not just go straight to trijicon...is this because of price..i do like the meprolights because there is a color variation between the front and rear sights...is that available with trijicon?

Sorry for the confusion caused by the way I worded that phrase. I meant that Meprolight was my first choice in night sights, and Trijicon would be my second choice (if I couldn't have Meprolight for some reason). For instance, I've bought a few used Glock handguns that had Trijicon sights on them, and I've had no problem with them. My son's G19 has Trijicons on it; no problems with it, either. I just prefer the way Meprolight dots look, day and night. There actually seems to be very little difference between the two brands, in my opinion, but if I get to choose, I go with the Meps.

I have owned a few sets of the different colored Meps; my G26 currently has the orange rear dots and green front dot. The difference in apparent brightness is significant between the two colors, with the green being much more eye-catching. I like this, as it draws my attention to the front sight, making it easier to locate in dim light, or if my eyes have not yet fully adjusted to dark conditions. However, I believe the colors other than green have a shorter useful lifespan, so I probably will not buy any more of anything other than green.

"Placement is power" -- seen in an article by Stephen A. Camp
(RIP, Mr. Camp; you will be remembered, and missed)

Ohhh okay. thanks for clearing that up. I guess i just kinda liked the different color than green for rear so it would be easier to aquire the front sight along with the target, whereas ive heard (dont know if there is any truth to it or not) that with all green sights. (front and rear) it could be confusable at night for example, when looking at the gun you may not be able to tell if the front sight is the green dot in the middle and you may have then gun slightly angled in one direction putting the front sight on the outside of the rear sights but still seeing 3 green dots...

sounds improbable because the gap between the rear sights should give it away i would think. but i just thought the multi color was a cool feature..

Also a local glock armor said he can put the 3.5lb trigger connector on my gun for around 25 dollars.
is this a common upgrade practical for carry and range?

Ohhh okay. thanks for clearing that up. I guess i just kinda liked the different color than green for rear so it would be easier to aquire the front sight along with the target, whereas ive heard (dont know if there is any truth to it or not) that with all green sights. (front and rear) it could be confusable at night for example, when looking at the gun you may not be able to tell if the front sight is the green dot in the middle and you may have then gun slightly angled in one direction putting the front sight on the outside of the rear sights but still seeing 3 green dots...

sounds improbable because the gap between the rear sights should give it away i would think. but i just thought the multi color was a cool feature..

It seems to make sense when you read it, but the sights don't just materialize in front of you. As the weapon rises or is thrust into your line of sight, your eyes pick up the glowing sights as they appear, and they are NEVER in a straight line for the entire time they are coming up onto the target. The front will be high and you'll see a triangle-shaped pattern of dots, or it will be low, and you'll see the two rear dots and then the front will pop into view later. In either case, your eyes and brain will straighten-out what is what, and will do so before you are ready to shoot (at least that's how it has worked for me, so far).

However, I have never used them in a life-and-death situation, so I can't speak to what might happen under those conditions (and I hope this lack of experience continues indefinitely). I agree they look cool, and make the described situation less likely. If you like the concept, go ahead and get them; they still work at least as well as the green/green sight combo, they just don't last quite as long.

Also a local glock armor said he can put the 3.5lb trigger connector on my gun for around 25 dollars.
is this a common upgrade practical for carry and range?

For a range gun, yes; for a carry gun, not as much. Glock, Inc., does not recommend the lighter connector for defensive use, even for police officers. I have one that came installed in my G34 that I use primarily as a competition gun, and it works well.

On the other hand, I have installed lighter connectors in about 10 other Glocks, for myself and others, and the results have varied. The trigger pulls always became lighter in weight, but sometimes the character (or "feel") of the trigger pull changed. Some folks didn't mind the change, as the lighter weight was what they wanted. Other folks learned to like it. A few did not like it at all, and changed back. I put them in a G17 and a G19 for myself, and I thought it made the triggers feel a bit mushy and less crisp (although the G34 is not mushy at all), so I took them out and went back to the stock connectors. I put one I had removed from my G17 into my father's G17, and he loved it, even though it felt very similar to how it felt in my G17. Currently, only my G34 has the 3.5 (now called the 4.5 pound by Glock) connector in it, and I still shoot my other Glocks very nearly as well as the G34. After you get used to managing the Glock trigger, a little weight one way or the other doesn't seem to help or hinder shooting for most folks. If you want a light-trigger-pull-weight target gun, I think a Glock might not be the best choice; and if you want to carry your Glock, then I'd definitely recommend against the lighter connector.

"Placement is power" -- seen in an article by Stephen A. Camp
(RIP, Mr. Camp; you will be remembered, and missed)

My dad and i both got brand new g 19s. and we went out yesterday to shoot them.

His functioned flawlessly as expected.

Mine however did not....I was firing some 115 gr FMJ rounds of a brand ive never heard (something cheap and old that a family member bought me) but i thought nothing of it as i had only heard that a glock will shoot anything you put in it.

The first round fired but 2nd round failed to load. shot a few more and then failure to eject...shot different ammo. no problems. back to original ammo with my girlfriend shooting...same story. jams. Then a barage of other ammunitions other than the first and no jams. i even shot some 135gr JHP Hydrashocks i picked up through it. Also i managed to solve that squeaking issue. A touch of gun oil on the guide rod solved that.

Should i seek a replacement because of those jams or do you think it was the ammunition as no other bullets reacted that way. Or maybe the spring wasnt broken in enough?

If the problem stopped when you stopped shooting a particular type of ammunition, and the problem didn't return (even later in the session, after the weapon was dirty and possibly hot), then yes, I'd chalk it up to bad (or just incompatible) ammo. Make a note of the brand/type so you don't buy/use any more of it.

There have been some problems with cheap import ammo not functioning well in some weapons; seems to me there was a batch of imported Greek surplus 9mm a couple of years ago that many guns (including Glocks) choked on. Usually, when I hear a story of this type, handloads from an inexperienced reloader or bargain-basement gunshow reloads are the culprit.

"Placement is power" -- seen in an article by Stephen A. Camp
(RIP, Mr. Camp; you will be remembered, and missed)

I bought a Glock 19 Gen 3 today to add to my collection. I already have a Glock 32. The 32 did not squeek at all when racked , the 19 does. Interesting, I will oil the recoil spring when i field strip it after firing next week and see if that will stop the squeeking, not that it bothers me.

I didnt clean it before the first time i shot it. but it did only jam with that one particualr type...not the other 4 or 5 types i shot...

And once i took the gun apart i dropped a few drops inbetween the spring coils on the guide rod and then compressed the spring on the guide rod a few times to spread the oil...worked like a charm.
Putthing the gun back together and racking it back would do the exact same thing too after the oil is on there.

I may not know what the diff is between feild strip and disassemble. I do not want to void my warranty, but i took the slide off and the spring and barrel out. im not sure what else there is to take apart.

I have been informed on another Forum that you should leave the Factory Lubricant in the weapon until it is broken in. You can see the lubricant at the rear of the slide, it is copper colored and is called Fel-Pro. Not saying you should not clean or lubricate.

Either way I consider a field strip appropriate, not a complete disasemble. Not trying to flame or start an argument, just my opinion. If I would think that a wepon (any weapon) needed a complete disasemble I would go to a gunsmith, I am not that handy.

You do not need to completely disassemble and clean a brand new firearm. Follow the instructions that came with your Glock. The spring and guide rod assembly are not really supposed to be lubricated. The lube will just attract dust. As far as lubricants go, I find that Ballistol does wonders - cleans and lubricates. Here is a link, and no, I am not a stockholder! Ballistol: ballistol - The World's Most Use-ful & Environmentally Friendly Lubricant. I never had a jam or any other malfunction with my G19.

I got a new Glock 19 (Gen4) in Nov as my first gun. I've been very pleased with it.

I did not experience any squeaking. I did have a few feed failures at my first use which I believe were a result my inexperience -- I was riding the slide.

To answer a couple of your questions...

I have not pursued any attachments or accessories except for an additional magazine and a Blackhawk Serpa holster (which I really like). It's probably not the most discreet carry holster, but it's very solid, functional, and safe.

Lastly, for defensive ammo, I went with Magsafe based on my understanding that it is less likely to go through walls. That made the most sense to me based on the layout of my house.

"When I first got my G19 I detail stripped it. While cleaning it I found a little piece of loose plastic in the slide that was keeping the striker from moving freely. I'm sure everybody has seen that little ridge of material that forms at the seams when something is made in a mold. I think it's called flashing or something. That's what my stray piece of material appeared to be."

Next reply from thread.

"Key word here is "new". Have somebody that knows (I am my own armorer)inspect it and see if there isn't something "extra" sticking around from casting/extruding. Also have them check all of your mags. It is rare but even a Glock (I own several) could have some flashing from molding/extruding.

I have found very small "extras" even in machined pieces of some of my more expensive guns. The people who build/assemble guns on the production line are not gunsmiths and even the "finishers" are not always as skilled or as astute as they should be. If it is something that can be remedied, do it and then carry with confidence. "

Trust your life to the quality control employee at the Glock factory if you want.

So i got my first handgun for christmas. a Gen 3 glock 19! very happy with it but have a few questions as this is my first handgun.

1. my dad and i both got identical guns. both brand new. however whenever i rack my slide back it makes a bit of a squeaking noise and his doesnt. Ive taken it apart and oiled it but no luck so far...am i not oiling the right area or will this go away with use?

4. What ammuntion do you prefer for self defense...pros and cons please.

Thanks in advance guys

OK, last response for today:

1. I, also, run a 3rd generation G-19; it's brand new, too. First thing I did was to remove the crappy factory plastic guide rod, (The part that's squeaking on you!) and replace it with a non-captured NP3 coated steel guide rod from Wolff Gunsprings.

If you do the same thing on your Glock, you'll have the additional benefit of less, 'frame flex' on the front end.

2. 3.5# is a misnomer. It's actually a 4.5# connector that you're interested in. There are two really high quality aftermarket Glock connectors out there: In my opinion the best of them comes from Lone Wolf Distributors.

I'm one of the people who did the initial field testing for JR on this connector. It took Lone Wolf several tries before they finally got it exactly right; but, when they got it right, they really got it right! Lone Wolf has the most supple, springiest, and fastest operating Glock connector on the market. I have one in each of my Glocks.

3. I, also, use a Blade-Tech IWB custom Kydex holster. There's a cute little wrinkle, though: I'm ambidextrous; so what I do is wear a standard OTB LH holster ITB/IWB on the RH side of my body. (And visa versa with my left side)

4. I have no strong preference in self-defense ammo. I usually grab whatever's on the shelf. A lot of what I use is Speer, 'Gold Dot' or, 'Winchester Ranger'. Right now my 9mm is loaded with Federal, 'Premium' +P+ JHP ammo. (But it could be anything, 'decent' - OK!)